Words Hurt
by anniegirl132
Summary: Deidara is upset and Sasori doesn't know why. Apparently it has something to do with him. Will he find out why and make his blonde partner feel better? NON-YAOI! Rated T for some violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Words Hurt**

**Chapter 1**

**. . . . .**

**Well, I enjoy making h/c stories for Sasori and Deidara, soooo… yeah.**

**I'm planning on making this story about 2 to 3 chapters long, I know too short, with about 2000 words per chapter. And sorry to all Hidan lovers, but I have censored out his mouth, I don't really like cursing. -_- **

**So yeah, here it is, hope you like it! ^_^**

**. . . . .**

**Sasori's POV**

Today was starting out pretty good. It's been a normal and quiet morning in Akatsuki. Well, forget normal, there's nothing normal about quietness. But that didn't make it any less of a treasure.

Part of the reason was probably because Tobi was on some mission all the way across the country with Zetsu. Poor plant man….

For some reason, even the brat was being strangely quiet today. In fact, this anomaly had started around this time yesterday, and I was enjoying every second of it.

About then Itachi walked into the kitchen where I was sitting drinking coffee. He still looked half asleep and nearly ran into the door frame. Tobi was really the only morning person here in Akatsuki.

"Where's Kisame?" I asked

"Getting dressed; what about Deidara?" he replied sitting down with a cup of hot tea in his hand.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. Now it may seem weird that I didn't even know where my own partner was, but he could take care of himself. The brat didn't need to have someone watching over him all of the time.

It was at that time that Kisame came in, followed by Hidan and Kakuzu.

"Morning," Hidan said, too tired to bother using profanities.

Shortly after they entered, so did leader Pein and Konan, the latter which began to prepare breakfast. That was always her job; everyone present at the base had a job. Mine happened to be fixing anything that got broken. It was a terrible one considering how many fights tended to break out here.

Glancing around, I noticed that Deidara hadn't bothered to come to breakfast wherever the brat was. No one else seemed to notice, considering they were all to tired and where barley staying awake as it was.

Konan began passing out plates of pancakes to everyone before sitting down in front of her own plate. The only reason I continued to consume food was to replenish my energy in chakra. I sometimes actually wished that I could taste food at times.

Oh well, that wasn't important. All I wanted to do right now was enjoy this peaceful morning.

"Het Sasori, where's blondie?" Hidan asked, obviously more awake now.

"I don't know," I answered, for the second time today.

"Shouldn't you know where your own partner is?" Pein asked, staring at me.

"Fine, fine, I'll go see where the brat is," I grumbled, leaving the room. I guess I wouldn't be able to enjoy this unusually quiet morning. He was probably still in bed. Like I said, Akatsuki members weren't morning people, so it was usually up to one partner to drag the other out of bed.

Sadly that was my job, which I hadn't bothered to do this morning. But I was slightly surprised when I entered our room to find Deidara awake and fully dressed. He was sitting at his desk making something.

"Hey brat, you need to come out for breakfast," I said, walking up to him.

"…."

"Brat, it's time for breakfast," I growled, angry that he had ignored me.

"….."

I sighed and left the room, this was too much work for 8:00 in the morning.

I went back into the kitchen and sat down where my now lukewarm coffee still was. "The brat's still in our room," I said, answering the unasked question on everyone's' minds.

"Isn't he coming out?" Itachi asked emotionlessly, as usual.

"No," I answered, taking a sip from my caffeinated beverage. Everyone, save for Itachi, looked at me expectantly but I said nothing. What was there to say? It's as though they felt I should go and see what was wrong with him. Yeah, like that'd happen.

"Do you know why?" Kisame asked. Of course, they really do expect me to know what's wrong.

"No," I answered getting up and leaving the room once again. I didn't want to be asked all of these questions so early in the morning; I just wanted to relax quietly. But apparently that's asking for too much.

Oh well, considering the brat had finally learned to be quiet, I could go relax in our room. Hiruko did need some work to make the inside a little more comfortable. It might as well be considering how long I spend in that thing.

As I walked into the room, the first thing I noticed was Deidara glaring at me. Oh well, I could ignore that. I sat down at my desk then summoned Hiruko. Opening him up, I began to examine it. What could I do to make the inside of a puppet more comfortable?

I began to install some cushions that I had found earlier; they had been in abandoned store. I took some nails and began to install the plush cushions into the puppet. I then made some holes for ventilation purposes.

I turned briefly, to grab more nails, when I noticed that the blonde was still glaring at me. I mean, sure, it had only been five minutes, but it was getting creepy. I had thought that he would only be doing this for like a minute. But for some reason the brat was being persistent today.

"What do you want brat?" I asked, returning his glare.

"Tch," he answered, turning away somewhat angrily. Well someone was being moody; I don't know what it was with teens. I have never been like this, and I've been a teen for about twenty years now.

Maybe I'd ask him about it later. It felt weird having someone angry at you when you didn't even know why. What could I have possibly done to make him like this? He usually just shrugged off anything rude or offensive that I said within a few minutes.

Sighing, I stored away Hiruko and put my tools back where they belonged on my desk. I got up and went to the kitchen; maybe some food would make him less grumpy. He did skip breakfast this morning after all.

I walked in, no one was there anymore. They had all left to go on missions or something. But that was good; I didn't need anyone thinking that I actually cared. Which I don't by the way!

I grabbed a few of the leftover pancakes and two cups of tea before going back to the room.

"Here brat," I said, handing him the plate and one of the cups. His glare softened briefly but immediately went back to the furious looking one he had given me before. I shrugged it off and left the room.

It was getting seriously uncomfortable to be around the brat. Was he always this rude? I always thought of it as Itachi's thing to glare at others and give them the silent treatment. So far, the only answers I had gotten from him were glares and a 'tch.'

Maybe if I went and yelled at him or something he would react; the brat did have a short temper. No, I really didn't feel like yelling and making a scene for no apparent reason. Then I would look like some kind of drama queen; which was Konan's job.

Maybe if I stayed patient and asked him what's wrong, he'll answer. Yeah, I'd go with that plan; after lunch. I had some relaxation to catch up on right now.

. . . . . .

Ok, it's time to go see what's wrong with my blonde partner. Walking into the room, I approached him as he glared at me cautiously.

**Deidara's POV**

I eyed danna suspiciously as he approached me. Was he just going to yell and insult me like he did the other night?

_Flashback ….._

_Tears were streaming down my face as I yelled," Sasori danna, why are you saying that un!?"_

"_Because it's true you impudent brat! I don't even know why we're partners!" he shouted at me. _

"_What does that mean un?" I almost sobbed, trying to regain my composure. I couldn't look like a complete baby; then I would only be proving him right._

"_Are you honestly that stupid!? You're just a sniveling little brat! All you ever do is hold me back; prevent me from getting things done quickly! You're a burden to me!" he shouted, grabbing my shirt color._

"_Stop it un!" I screamed in desperation, yanking free from his grip. Why was he saying these things to me? I thought we were friends…._

"_Don't be so rude brat!" he shouted, his hand slapping me across the face, hard. I staggered back, my eyes wide in shock. Sasori-no-danna just slapped me!_

"_Danna-" I began but was cut off by him._

"_Don't call me that you brat; I'm not your danna," he growled, pushing me onto the ground. I just sat there on the floor, sobbing until he left. Why would he say such things to me; what had I done wrong. This had all started out as just one of our usual arguments about art, and nothing more at the time. I don't really even remember how it turned into this, but his insults were still fresh in my brain. And the things he said to me hurt, a lot. When I was finally able to compose myself more, I dragged myself back to our room. He was already asleep when I got there; good, I didn't want to talk to him. _

_I crawled into bed and wept silently until I fell into a light sleep. _

_Flashback end …_

It didn't matter, I didn't want to hear anything that _he_ had to say.

"Deidara," he said, stopping in front of me.

"What un?" I said venomously.

"What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.

I can't believe it! He went and said those things to me and now he couldn't even remember it! I just glared at him hatefully, choosing not to answer his question. For if I did I would probably end up shouting, getting everyone's attention, then breaking into tears.

"Come on brat, you can tell me," he said calmly.

"Don't call me a brat _Sasori_ un," I said furiously. His eyes widened in complete shock; I just continued to glare.

**Sasori's POV**

I was in a serious state of shock right now. As silly as it sounded, it was because the blonde didn't call me danna. He had never called me just Sasori without a danna at the end.

Something serious must have happened, and it obviously involved me. Right now I was just looking at him shocked.

"Deidara.." I said reaching out at him.

"Just go away un!" he hissed.

"Why won't you just tell me what's wrong!?" I asked loudly, making him flinch. I saw fear flash in his eyes before it turned into a kind of angry sadness.

"It's nothing un," he muttered sadly, leaving the room. Why didn't I remember whatever it was that had happened? I usually had such a great memory. And whatever I had said or done must have seriously hurt my blonde partner.

Now I just had to find out what happened and then fix it. But I should wait until he calms down; tomorrow after breakfast would be good. I hope this all works itself out in the end.

**. . . . . .**

**Well, there it is, chapter 1… Please review and tell me what you think! Also if you want me to do any story in particular just PM me or say it in a review. All ideas (except yaoi) are welcome! And if you don't have any ideas, that's perfectly fine too. ^_^**

**Hope you liked it; chapter 2 will be up sometime next week. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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**Ok, here's chapter 2. The whole story will be about 3 chapters long total; maybe more, if enough people like it. The next one will be out sometime next week, and so on for future updates; although I may even end up doing two a week. :)**

**Thanks to Sasuke, Midnight's Shining Star, Asheza, and Guren San Cecelia for reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**Well, here it is! ^_^**

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**Sasori's POV**

Ok, it was time. I hope that he actually has calmed down by now; I didn't want to make a scene. He probably had calmed a little; he did come out for breakfast this morning.

I walked back to our room, but he was nowhere in sight. Now where could he be…

I went to the living room but he wasn't there either. How far could the brat get in only ten minutes? I walked back into the living room where Itachi, Kisame, and Tobi were watching TV.

"Have any of you seen Deidara?" I asked.

"Yeah, he left the base about five minutes ago," Kisame answered, never looking away from the TV screen.

"Thanks," I muttered, running to the base's exit. I used the hand seals to move the rock in front of the base out of the way; doing the same to move it back once I had left.

I ran in the easterly direction in which I could faintly sense the brat's chakra coming from. Entering the woods, I followed his chakra signature until I came to a small pond where he was sitting at the edge.

It seemed as though he hadn't noticed me yet, but I couldn't be sure.

"Hey, br- Deidara," I said, remembering what he had said earlier. He turned around to glare at me, tear streaks visible on his face, his eyes slightly puffy from crying.

"What un?" he said coldly.

"I just want to talk," I replied in a calmer voice, sitting down next to him at the water's edge.

**Deidara's POV**

I knew exactly why he was here, but I was still curious. Why couldn't he just leave me be after what he had said. Even if he didn't seem to remember, he had still did done and said those things.

And it hurt too much for me to just drop it like I usually would. That time, when he said what he did, he was serious. Normally if he insulted me, it was a joke; but it was different then, I felt it. But at this moment, I wouldn't get him toknew he wouldn't leave unless I said something.

"About what un?" I asked, trying to hide all emotion.

"About whatever I did or said to you," he answered, looking up at me. I wouldn't meet his gaze, I couldn't. If I did, I would more than likely just become an emotional mess again. Vulnerable to all of the insults he could throw at me.

"I honestly don't remember what happened, will you tell me?" he asked.

"No un," I answered.

"Please Deidara, I can't help unless you tell me what's wrong," he pleaded. How could he help when he was the cause of my sadness? No matter how many times he said sorry, it wouldn't take away the sting of the words he had said to me; or how he just hit me in a fit of anger. No matter what he did, it couldn't change the past.

"No Sasori un, I won't tell you. And you can't help me when you're the cause!" I almost shouted my voice slightly cracking. He looked somewhat shocked. How could he not have remembered? I don't even know why he was so shocked; he should have figured by now that he was the reason I was feeling the way that I did right now.

"Deidara-" he began before I cut him off.

"Why won't you just leave me alone un!?" I half screamed, stomping away. Couldn't he understand that I just didn't want to be around him right now? I had lost my trust in him that night, and it would take time to get it back.

That was one thing he didn't seem to understand. He acted like our bond was like a puppet. That any time it was broken it could be easily repaired. He needed to learn that things were a lot harder than that.

I knew that I would have to tell him eventually; things couldn't stay like this forever. But I couldn't now; I was still an emotional mess.

I mean, it had only been a week since he acted that way. Yes, Sasori will have to be patient for once; he needs to wait until I'm ready to tell him.

I raised my hand and wiped away the stream of tears coming from my eyes before entering the base.

"Hey Deidara; where's Sasori?" Kisame asked as I walked in. I just shrugged and quickly walked down the hallway leading to our room.

I couldn't let anyone else see me like this; I would look weak and pathetic. Just like Sasori had said…

I pushed open the door to the room and crawled into bed. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted right now. Maybe I would tell Sasori tomorrow. And with that last thought in mind, I drifted off to sleep.

**Sasori's POV**

I was in a state of shock now. I had been hoping that it wasn't my fault but it was. I already knew that in the back of my head but had been denying it this whole time. Maybe that's why it hurt so much when he said it.

And honestly, I was feeling very guilty and didn't even know the entire cause. Part of it was for not remembering whatever I did; but the other part, I had no idea.

And it was actually pretty painful to see the blonde so upset. To me, he seemed emotionally destroyed. And that fact only added to my already growing guilt.

I slowly walked back to the base, thinking on how I could make this better. In my daze, I looked up at the sky to note that it was almost sun set. Had I really been out that long? I walked through the base and into our room, ignoring Kisame's greeting. When I walked into the room, Deidara was already asleep.

I guess talking would have to wait until tomorrow. Waking him up would only put him in an even fouler mood than he already was. Besides, I was pretty tired myself.

I walked over to my bed and slipped under the warm blankets. Yeah, I would settle this tomorrow. With that, I drifted off to sleep.

. . . . . . .

When I got up in the morning, Deidara was still asleep; and again, waking him up wasn't an option.

I needed him in as good a mood as possible when I discussed this problem with him. Otherwise he would just shut me out and become even angrier. Brats were so hard to deal with…

Sighing, I went to the kitchen to get some breakfast; even puppets needed to eat. When I got there, Kisame and Itachi were already there. The latter was currently sleeping with his head on the table.

I made some coffee before sitting down next to the Uchiha. Soon after, the rest of the Akatsuki members came in, including Deidara. Who, much to my chagrin, looked tired and in a bad mood; just my luck.

A smiling Kisame began to serve out eggs and toast to everyone before sitting down himself. When I was finished eating, I put my dishes in the sink before leaving and going to the living room to wait for Deidara.

When he came out I walked up to him, hoping that he'd be willing to talk.

"Hey, Deidara, will you please just tell me what I did?" I asked.

"Ok un," he sighed. Wow, I had expected a little more resistance, but this was a good sign. Maybe he really was in a better mood.

"Let's go outside," I said, not wanting the whole organization to hear our conversation. We walked outside and sat on top of the cave we used as a base.

"Before I tell you what happened I just want to warn you un. This doesn't mean that I'll just automatically forgive you un," he said seriously.

"Ok," I said. And then he began telling me what happened.

. . . . . . .

I was shocked, to say the least. Deidara had left a while ago but I stayed outside to think about what he had said.

I couldn't believe I had said those things to him; and then slapped him to top it off! No wonder he was so upset. Now the only question was how to make him feel better.

For something like this, just a simple sorry wasn't enough. But what more could I do? I guess I should just give him some time to get over it.

That's all I could think of at the moment and it'd have to do for now.

**Deidara's POV**

It was hard to tell Sasori what he had done. Just thinking about it made me upset; so speaking about it almost made me break down.

Why did I have to be such an emotional mess? I knew I was being a wimp at the time he said that, but that fact didn't lessen the pain I had felt.

It was probably unfair and childish of me to not forgive him; but I couldn't. I didn't want to lie by saying I forgave him, because that was a fact that I just couldn't make true at the moment. It would take time….

I broke away from my thought to see what was on TV. Currently everyone but Sasori was in the living room watching whatever was on.

For some reason we were watching the Konoha new. But that didn't surprise me, this was how leader Pein usually did research on the places where the tailed beast resided. And it had worked pretty well so far.

Today it was really boring; only about how peaceful everything was going. I glanced up from the screen to see Sasori enter the room and sit down next to me on the sofa. We said nothing to each other; what was there to say?

"Oh, Sasori, Deidara, You two have a mission in Konoha tomorrow," leader Pein said, glancing at us. Why do we have to go on a mission tomorrow? I really wasn't in the mood for this.

"What are we doing there?" Sasori asked.

"Just cause a little _commotion,_ but don't get caught. We need to remind them that we're still a threat," he explained with a slight smirk. "And one last thing; try not to cause _too_ much destruction," he added. Oh well, this was a strange mission, but maybe just what I needed to get my mind off of my emotions.

"You'll be leaving around 7:00," he added before turning back to the TV.

I stayed in the room for a while longer before getting up and going to my room. I was tired and needed some sleep; I couldn't be completely useless tomorrow.

I just hope that I'll be able to hide my emotions and do the mission right. Sighing, I tiredly slipped under the covers of my bed and drifted off to sleep.

**Sasori's POV**

I hope what happened won't affect our teamwork tomorrow. He still seemed upset and I honestly didn't know how to deal with it.

I was so used to remaining impassive that I wasn't very used to emotions being shown so openly like that.

Shortly after the blonde had left the room, I also got up to go to bed. It would be complete chaos if we were both in a bad mood; resulting in our partnership being even worse than it already was.

When I walked in my partner was already asleep. Good, now he might actually be in a good mood tomorrow. Getting into bed, I went to sleep, hoping for everything to go well on the mission.

**. . . . . . . . .**

**Hate? Love? Like? Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcome. The next chapter should be up either later this week, or sometime next week.**

**In the next chapter there will be a lot of Sasori thinking about what he did. And well, the mission.**

**And thank you to everyone who continues to follow, favorite, review, and mostly, read! I really appreciate it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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**Okay, this chapter and part of the next one will be focused on the mission. **

**And thank you to Asheza, KarimaWhatev, and Midnight's Shining Star for reviewing chapter two. I really appreciate it!**

**I hope you like it! ^_^**

**. . . . . .**

**Sasori's POV**

I glanced at my partner as we walked down the dirt path that led away from the hideout. He still looked half asleep even though we had been walking for about an hour now.

We still hadn't spoken once since the other night and it was beginning to feel awkward. Even though I was always telling him to shut up, I wasn't happy that he actually did; at least, not for this reason.

It really hurt me to see my blonde partner so upset; and even more knowing that it's all my fault. Not only that, but there was seemingly nothing that I could do to make him feel better.

I sighed, causing him to glance up at me before looking back down. Maybe just waiting for him to get over it wasn't the best thing to do. Even if it's not sufficient enough, I should still apologize.

It was a better idea than just doing nothing.

"Hey, Deidara," I said, causing him to look up in acknowledgement.

"I know it's not enough, but, I'm sorry. Sorry for being so rude to you acting the way I did," I apologized. He stared at me for a while with an expression that I didn't recognize before looking back at the ground without saying a word.

I knew sorry wouldn't be enough, but I had hoped for my apology to have some effect on him. I wished he would have at least said something to me. I guess earning his trust back would be harder than I had first presumed.

In the cloudless sky, a flock of birds flew overhead, causing shadows to appear on the ground. The sun was slowly rising in the sky, along with the temperature. But we were used to heat, coming from where we did.

I glanced at my partner again only to see nothing had changed. I hope he'll be ok by the time we start the mission. If not he could get hurt, or worse…. No, that wasn't something that I needed to be thinking of; I needed to be hoping for the best outcome.

. . . . . .

We were walking through a dense forest now, having crossed the Fire Country border a few hours ago. Thankfully, the trees were providing some relief from the sun, which was even beginning to get to me. I looked over at Deidara to see he wasn't doing much better.

"Let's take a short break," I said stopping. I pulled out a water bottle and began to drink as my partner did the same. I just hoped the temperature would cool at least a little by tomorrow. I really didn't want to have to do it in extreme heat.

I waited for a few more minutes before announcing that we needed to keep going. The rest of the trip was spent in silence,

. . . . . . .

"We'll sleep here tonight and then do the mission tomorrow," I said, sitting down against a nearby tree. He nodded in response before doing the same.

He still hadn't spoken, not even one single word.

"Listen, Deidara, you're going to have to talk to me; otherwise we might end up failing to complete this mission," I said impassively, waiting for a response.

"Ok un," he mumbled quietly, not even bothering to look up at me. I guess things where working out slightly better than earlier today.

"Get some rest, we need to get up early tomorrow to start the mission," I informed the blonde, him nodding in response.

I summoned one of the puppets I was planning to use tomorrow; I didn't need to rest and wanted to do something productive. I began to sharpen its blades and even added a few more.

After a while I glanced up from my work to look at my partner's sleeping form. His one bang, blowing out of his face only to fall back with each breath he took. I was happy to see he was getting some rest like I told him to.

On previous missions, he would pretend to be asleep then spend all night working on his 'art'. It was then that I began to wonder; how could I have forgotten what I did? It was obviously a very important, and memorable, event. So what could make me forget that I had hurt my partner as bad as I did?

It just didn't make sense. I would have to ask him what happened after I left to try and find out. I just hope that it doesn't make him to upset to talk about it again; he was almost in tears the first time. Even though he did a decent job of hiding it, I could tell.

Hopefully everything will go well tomorrow. Sighing, I began to work on my puppet again. I guess there was no use in worrying about it until after the mission.

**Deidara's POV**

_"I-I'm sorry danna, I didn't mean to un!" I sobbed, backing away from the livid redhead._

"_Do you really think that sorry is going to be enough brat!?" he shouted, walking closer to me._

"_But danna-"I tried but was cut off._

"_I don't need to hear any of your excuses!" he shouted causing me to flinch. _

"_You are nothing to me Deidara," he growled angrily, glaring at me._

"_Danna un.." I said, tears sliding down my face._

"_Just shut up!" he shouted._

My eyes snapped open to see Sasori who had been shaking me awake. I shrank back, causing him to also back up.

It seemed ever since that night I just kept dreaming what had happened over and over again.

"It's time to get ready for the mission," he said softly. I nodded and began to pack my supplies.

I strapped my clay filled bags and checked to make sure I had enough kunai and shuriken before putting on my cloak.

Glancing up at the sky, I noticed that the sun hadn't even risen yet; it was completely dark except for the setting moon and stars. I knew he said we'd have to start early, but I didn't think he meant this early.

"Ok, let's go," he said, getting my attention. He began to walk away with me following behind. The forest was completely quiet as we walked through it, nothing but the sound of our feet on the ground.

I glanced to the side to meet the large yellow eyes of an owl. We just stared at each other until it silently flew off.

"We're almost there," Sasori said without turning around.

"Ok un," I said quietly. I hoped my emotions wouldn't affect the mission; I couldn't be a burden to Sasori again. After a few more minutes, we reached one of the Leaf village's border walls.

"Are you ready?" Sasori asked turning to me. I nodded in response then began making some low level explosives to destroy the wall.

When they were done, I flung them at the structure, destroying it in a beautiful explosion. And with that, we ran into the village.

"I'll take the east side and you get the west. Then we'll circle the village and get the Hokage's building and middle area," Sasori said before, turning to the right.

"Right un," I said, turning to the left. Making several clay spiders, I flung them onto the nearby houses, continuing to run. When I was far enough away, I made the hand sign, shouting,"Katsu!"

I began to make more small bombs as screams rang out from behind me. Two shinobi suddenly appeared on either side of me, each of them holding a katana.

I flung the butterflies I had been making at them, but only defeating one. The second one swung his sword at me, just barely missing as I ducked.

I stopped running and began to make some more clay butterflies, dodging all of the shinobi's attacks.

I threw the bombs at him, also getting thrown back a little by the explosion. Getting off the ground, I continued to run, throwing small bombs at buildings as I passed by.

After a while I had fully circled the village but couldn't see Sasori yet. Forming some clay sculpture with my palm hands, I began to try and sense any approaching chakra signatures. There were about five shinobi to my left, three to my right, and two behind me, one of which was Sasori.

"Make a clay bird and attack from above, I'll follow at a distance from below," he said once he reached me. I nodded and began to make the bird as Sasori fought off the nearby shinobi.

When it was ready, I enlarged it before jumping on top and flying up. I made some smaller clay birds and exploded holes into nearby buildings and houses. Screams could be heard from below me as panicked villagers ran through the streets.

By now the sun was beginning to rise in the direction I was flying, causing me to squint. I tried putting a hand up to block the harsh light but it only worked slightly.

**Sasori's POV**

I followed Deidara at a distance so as not to get caught in one of his explosions, using about ten of my puppets to fight off the chunin and jounin trying to surround me. I looked around, noticing several genin trying to direct the villagers to somewhere safe.

I cursed as one of my puppets was destroyed, detaching my chakra strings from it. I noticed some ANBU beginning to join in the fight and pulled out my spare body, which I sometimes used in battle.

I continued to fight, and three more puppets were destroyed, much to my chagrin. I would have used my 100 puppets technique, but leader Pein had said not to cause _too_ much destruction. And I didn't have any extra puppets to use at the moment; I had to work with what I had for now.

The shinobi's numbers where thinning but so where my puppets. As of now I only had three left, including my spare body. It was then that I noticed about two or three shinobi, about ANBU level, trailing Deidara as he continued to attack the village. But apparently, he didn't even seem to notice.

I quickly defeated the chunin surrounding me before getting closer to my partner's bird to try and defeat the ANBU following him. Using one of my puppets, I was able to catch one of the ANBU off guard, quickly defeating him.

The other one turned around and tried to hit the puppet with a fire style jutsu but I quickly maneuvered it out of the way, shooting several senbon from its mouth simultaneously.

I turned to the last shinobi, my eyes widening in shock. He was holding three kunai, each with an explosive tag wrapped around it.

I could practically see him smirking underneath his mask as he flung them at Deidara's clay bird with perfect precision. I tried to stop them with the puppet but was too late.

"Deidara!" I shouted, my eyes going even wider in horror as his bird exploded in a very large blast, also sending me flying back.

**. . . . . . **

**I will probably be updating sometime next week, maybe later this week if I finish the next chapter sooner. There will be about two more chapters in this story before it's over.**

**And lastly, please review; it's my motivation for writing and updating quickly. I will accept constructive criticism and try and fix any mistakes and etc. in the next chapter. For example, if there's something you think is missing that would improve the story, I'll try and add it within the next few chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**. . . . . .**

**Ok, I may not be updating all of my stories every week, but I will still update. I'll just do it as I finish writing each chapter, otherwise the chapter may not be as good. -_-**

**Also, as a reminder, this is not a yaoi nor will it become one at any point in time. **

**Thank you to Midnight's Shining Star and Guren San Cecelia for reviewing chapter 3, I really appreciate it. It's my motivation for continuing to write. :)**

**So, on with the story!**

**. . . . . .**

**Sasori's POV **

Thinking fast, I sent my spare body forward, grabbing him, while using the other puppet as an extra shield from the explosion. I could feel the puppet being destroyed and my spare body almost meeting the same fate.

Using the commotion to my advantage, I threw some kunai, taking out the remaining shinobi before running. With my puppet holding my partner, I fled from the village; I needed somewhere safer to make sure he was ok.

I tried sensing for any other chakra signatures but found none. It seems as though the village hadn't sent anyone after us…. yet. I continued to run until we came to a clearing where I stopped and tuned to my partner.

"Are you ok Deidara?" I asked, walking up to him.

"I-I'm sorry un! P-please don't hit me," he whimpered, his eyes widening in shock as he began to tremble slightly. Why did he think I'd try and hurt him? It must have something to do with what happened a few days ago.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Just tell me, are you ok?" I asked him again. He nodded, looking away from me.

Sighing, I stored my puppet away in its scroll before sitting down.

"We'll rest here then leave in about an hour," I said, receiving a nod in answer. Great, now he seemed even more scared around me. I really wish there was something I could do to fix this, but all I seemed to be doing was making things worse.

I glanced at him again to notice he had calmed down more. I guess I could try and talk to him again.

"Deidara, why did you think I was going to hit you?" I asked. He looked up at me before looking away again.

"Please answer me," I said as nicely as I could. For once, his silence was beginning to annoy me.

"…." He remained silent. Why wouldn't he just answer me?

"Deidara, please" I said, trying to coax him into talking. It didn't work. Now I was beginning to get angry with him. He should be more respectful and answer me when I ask him something.

"Answer me Deidara!" I said a lot louder than I had meant to, only succeeding in making him flinch.

"Come on, before any Leaf shinobi find us," I mumbled, getting up and walking in the direction of the hideout. Why did I yell at him?

**Deidara's POV**

I didn't quiet comprehend everything that had happened yet. I don't know how I was caught off guard, or why I flinched at Sasori's words.

It's not like he completely understood what he had done earlier yet. But I wasn't planning on telling him any time soon; he could just get angry again. I walked behind him silently, not really knowing how to lighten the mood.

I guess I couldn't be quiet the whole time; this _is_ about a five hour trip. I guess I should at least apologize for freaking out.

"Sasori," I said quietly, trying to grab his attention.

"What," he growled.

"I- Nothing," I mumbled. If he was just going to be mean and rude I had no obligation to apologize, let alone even talk. Besides anything I said was likely to just make him even angrier. I silently walked next to him, looking at the ground.

He hadn't done anything yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't later. I needed to prepare myself for what he might say or do. I glanced up at him to see he still seemed a little angry.

Yeah, I would definitely need to prepare myself.

**Sasori's POV**

I didn't know why I had snapped at Deidara earlier, even though he hadn't answered me. I didn't even mean to snap at him just now. He was obviously scared, maybe even too much so to speak; I just wish he would have told me why.

I looked back at him to see him still looking slightly frustrated and not very scared any more. I would have to try and talk to him when he had calmed down more. More than likely he probably thought the event that had happened a few days ago would repeat itself.

But he had never told me the cause of what had happened. And seeing the mood he was in now, he probably wouldn't speak to me any time soon. Why did teenagers have to be so difficult?

"Let's stop and take a break," I said calmly, trying to make him less on edge. It seemed to works as he sat down and began to mess with some clay. I too sat down and watched him from the corner of my eye; I guess now was better than never.

"Deidara, please tell me what happened," I said as calmly as I could.

"What do you mean un?" he asked.

"Why were you so scared earlier?" I asked.

"It- It's nothing," he said looking away. I guess I would have to see if anyone back at the base knew what had happened and ask them…

"Ok," I answered, not pushing him any further.

"Let's go," I said after a few minutes. He nodded and followed me down the path. We arrived at the base several hours later, by now the sun was setting.

We walked into the living room where Kisame was sitting on the couch.

"Where's Itachi?" I asked.

"He said he's tired and went to our room," he said, glancing up from the TV. Deidara walked over and sat down next to him, but I just stood there.

"Hey Kisame, I need to talk to you about something," I said, walking back outside.

"What is it Sasori?" he asked.

"Follow me," I said. We walked away from the base to a nearby river.

"Why did we have to leave the base?" Kisame asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"No reason," I lied; I couldn't have Deidara hearing this conversation.

"Do you know what happened between Deidara and me a few nights ago?" I asked seriously.

"You mean that fight?" the shark man asked.

"Yes, tell me everything you know," I ordered, causing him to stare at me in confusion.

"I don't remember what happened for some reason," I quickly explained. He nodded and began to speak.

**Deidara's POV**

I was just sitting there watching TV when Sasori walked back in alone.

"Where's Kisame un?" I asked.

"He said he needed to take care of something," he answered before glaring at me. Oh no, he was going to get angry again; but I need to be strong this time.

"I can't believe _you_ broke my puppet again!" he shouted.

"I wasn't trying to un," I stated, trying to keep my composure.

"Oh, and that just makes everything better; doesn't it?" he asked sarcastically.

"No un," I said, looking away from his eyes, trying to remain calm. And suddenly, he was right in front of me, holding me up by the front of my shirt.

"And what exactly are you going to do about what you've done?" he asked, threateningly.

"I don't know un," I half whimpered, trying to hold back my tears.

"And there you go being weak _again_," he hissed.

"That's exactly how my puppets got destroyed!" he shouted, punching me in the face, sending me crashing to the ground.

"I can't help it un!" I said, tears falling from my eyes.

"And that's exactly what makes you such a burden," he teased, smirking sadistically.

"Just- Just shut up un!" I shouted standing up.

"Why should I?" he asked, with the same expression. I couldn't take it anymore; pushing him out of the way, I ran down the hallway. I saw Itachi look out of his door but didn't stop and ran right to my room, slamming the door behind me.

Why couldn't Sasori just leave me alone; it's as though he enjoyed seeing me this way. Well, I could no longer be weak. Most importantly, I needed to stop trusting him; for it seemed every time that I did, he only hurt me.

I would need to do my best to remain completely impassive around him. Sighing, I slipped under the covers on my bed and went to sleep.

**Sasori's POV**

I walked down the hallway towards Deidara's and my room when Itachi stopped me.

"What is it?" I asked. He grabbed my arm and led me out of the base. I really wanted to just go to sleep, even as a puppet, I was tired from all that had happened today, but I was curious as to what the Uchiha wanted.

One we were outside, he stopped and turned to me.

"What happened with Deidara?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He just ran down the hallway crying," he deadpanned.

"What? Why?" I almost shouted.

"That's what I'm asking you. Kisame did say that there has been tension between you two recently," the younger man spoke with a slight glare on his usually impassive face.

"I don't know what happened," I said, returning his glare. Why had Kisame told Itachi about my personal business?

"You mean to tell me that you don't remember what you did to put him in that state," Itachi asked, his expression returning to its usual apathetic self.

"No, I did nothing," I answered, still glaring. Why was he accusing me of making Deidara upset? Even though I hadn't remembered the first time, I'm sure I would have remembered something that had happened only moments ago.

"Then why was he so upset?' the Uchiha asked.

"I don't know?" I growled.

"You should, he is your partner," he replied.

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"Because, we are all part of Akatsuki; shouldn't we care whether or not our comrades are ok?" Itachi asked, slightly shocking me. He was right; we should at least care about each other if no one else.

"You're right," I said, even though it hurt my pride to admit I was wrong. As I walked past him into the base, I could have seen him smile if even only briefly.

I went down the hallway and took a deep breath before entering Deidara's and my room. When I walked in he was already asleep.

Although after looking at him a little closer I glared slightly. He had tear streaks going down his cheeks and a large bruise on the left side of his face that his hair usually covered.

Itachi was right, something had happened, but I still didn't know what. And if he really was upset as the Uchiha had said, then he more than likely wouldn't tell me about it.

Why do things have to be so difficult? Sighing, I got in my bed. I didn't know how I would solve this now.

I honestly didn't have the patience to wait for him to trust me again, but as of now, I didn't see any other options. I guess I'll just have to think of something in the morning. With one last glance at my blonde partner, I fell asleep.

**. . . . . .**

**Okay, here it is, chapter 4, I hope everyone liked it!**

**Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcome! **

**And thank you again to everyone who reads! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**. . . . . . **

**Ok, so the previous chapter may have been a little confusing at some points, but everything should become clear in this chapter. In the end this story will probably end up at about 6 chapters, maybe 7… **

**And thank you to Midnight's Shining Star and Guren San Cecelia for reviewing chapter 4, I really appreciate it! :)**

**And an early happy 4****th**** of July to everyone! ^_^**

**On with the story!**

**. . . . . . .**

**Deidara's POV**

I got out of bed and glanced over at Sasori to make sure he was still asleep before leaving the room. I didn't want him to notice I'd left, at least, not yet.

I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror as I quickly did my hair. I cringed slightly at seeing the large bruise on the left side of my face before letting my hair fall back in front of it.

I walked back down the hallway and over to leader Pein's room, entering when he said 'come in'.

"What do you want Deidara, it's like 4:00 in the morning, "he growled, still half asleep.

"I want to stay somewhere else un," I said.

"Fine, whatever," Pein said tiredly, gesturing for me to leave. I was relieved that I didn't have to explain as to why I wanted to stay somewhere else to leader-sama. I walked back to my room and pulled out a storage scroll before putting all of my things in it. I glanced at the room one last time for walking out of the door.

I just couldn't stay there any more, not with how Sasori has been acting. I knew I would still have to work with him, he was my partner after all, but I didn't want to have to be around him any longer than I had to. All he seemed to do recently is hurt me, over and over again.

I left the base and walked into the forest; the sun hadn't risen yet so it was still dark out. Now all I needed to do was find somewhere to stay…. And since I still had to do missions with Sasori, the place I choose has to be nearby.

I wish that I could trust Sasori, but it seemed that whenever I did he only hurt me. I wished that what had happened just could have been my imagination, but I had a large bruise on the side of my face to prove it wasn't. I wish he would at least remember what he did; the fact that he didn't only made me feel worse.

As though hurting me wasn't something he felt was even remotely important enough to remember. I continued to walk through the forest, lost in thought, until I almost ran into the side of a cave. Maybe this place would work.

I walked inside and sensed to see if there was anyone there, nope. I guess this was where I'd be staying from now on….

I pulled out the storage scroll and put all of my things in the cave. Ok, now all I have to do is put up a seal so only Akatsuki members could get in. I would have made it just me, but I couldn't have them being hurt by the seal if they tried to enter.

I found a large boulder near the side of the cave and pushed it in front before placing a paper seal on the front that would only open to someone with one of the Akatsuki's rings.

Opening it up, I went inside, and sealed the entrance behind myself. Looking around I sighed; this room sure felt empty….

I might as well get some rest I thought tiredly as I got into my bed and went to sleep.

**Sasori's POV**

I tiredly sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Alright, today was when I would have to finally settle things with Deidara. I just hoped my apology would do something to make things better; besides that I didn't have much to offer.

I glanced to the other side of the room to see if my partner was awake yet, my eyes widening in shock at what I saw. His side of the room was completely empty! Where could he have gone in only one night?

I ran out of the room and down the hallway, getting confused looks from the other members of Akatsuki as I rushed through the living room and into the other hallway.

When I got to leader sama's door, I knocked until an irritated 'come in' came from the other side.

"What is it Sasori?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Where's Deidara?" I asked, becoming slightly frantic.

"What do you mean? Don't you know where your own partner is?" he deadpanned.

"No, his side of the room is completely empty and he isn't there," I explained irritably.

"Oh yeah, he asked me something about leaving earlier…" he mumbled in thought.

"And you let him go!?" I half shouted.

"Yes," he said with a glare. I was about to leave to go and search for my partner when Pein sama stopped me.

"What?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you about something Sasori," he said.

"What is it?" I asked. I really just wanted to get out of here and go search for Deidara; hopefully he'll make this quick.

**Deidara's POV**

I was sitting at my desk, playing with some clay, but that wasn't what I was focused on. I knew that Sasori would probably be looking for me considering I had left so suddenly, but I didn't know how to react when he got here.

I still didn't trust him at all, but I didn't want to just be spiteful or rude whenever I was around him, he was my partner after all. Yet I couldn't just let my guard down and be carefree around him either; he might just attack me again.

I sighed out in frustration, what should I do? I looked down at the bird I had been absentmindedly sculpting before throwing it in the air and causing a small explosion. I took out some more clay and began to mold another; I had been doing this for about an hour now.

. . . . . .

I had been so lost in thought that I almost didn't notice it when someone got near the cave. I sensed to see who it was and of course, it was Sasori.

"Hey, Deidara, we've got a mission," he said from outside. Great, I really didn't need this right now.

I set down the half finished bird before exiting the cave where Sasori was waiting.

"What's the mission un?" I asked.

"I'll tell you when we're there," he said.

"Where un?" I asked.

"Konoha," he stated. We were just on a mission there; why were we going again? We turned, beginning to walk down through the forest, and I could have sworn I saw him smirk briefly.

Something seemed a little different about Sasori, but I just couldn't tell what that something was…

We exited on to the dirt path that led away from the base when we saw Kisame.

"Hey guy, did leader-sama send you out on another mission?" he asked.

"Yeah, where's Itachi?" Sasori asked.

"I'm still waiting for him. He said he needed to finish getting ready," the shark man explained.

"So, where did he send you this time?" he asked.

"Konoha," Sasori answered, and again, I thought I saw him smirk briefly.

"Again?" he asked, apparently not noticing.

"Yeah," Sasori said.

"Well we have to get going," my partner said, beginning to walk away as I followed.

"Ok, see you guys later," Kisame said, flashing his shark like smile. I glanced over at Sasori to see he really was smirking slightly; but why?

We continued to walk down the path, until after about a few minutes, Sasori suddenly stopped.

"What is it un?" I asked, also stopping. He suddenly lunged at me, slamming his fist down on the top of my head.

I fell to the ground, beginning to lose consciousness with my last thought being, why Sasori.

**Sasori's POV**

I was still thinking about what leader Pein had told me as I walked out of the base. He had told me to go and find Deidara, but if the other things he had said were true, then I needed to hurry.

As I began walking down the dirt path that led away from the base, I saw Kisame.

"Hey, Kisame, have you seen Deidara?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, completely confused.

"Do you know where Deidara is?" I tried asking again.

"Didn't you just walk down the road with him?" Kisame asked. I cursed under my breath before running past the shark man and down the path. I had to catch up with them quick or Deidara could be in a lot of trouble. As I ran I recalled what leader Pein had said earlier.

_Flashback_

"_Deidara could be in danger," he said._

"_How?" I asked, worriedly._

"_You know how he said you've hurt him but you remember nothing?" he asked._

"_Yes," I said, not understanding what this had to do with anything._

"_Well, maybe it isn't you who did it; maybe it's an enemy trying to make him weak," Pein said._

"_But how? A henge jutsu can't change someone's chakra signature and he would have noticed if it was different," I said._

"_Right, but it may not be a henge jutsu," he said._

"_Then what is it," I asked._

"_Remember when Orochimaru left how he stole several things from us? And how he still had his Akatsuki ring," he asked._

"_Yeah," I said, getting angry at the mention of my former partner._

"_Well, he could be using one of your spare body puppets to pose as you," leader sama explained._

"_But how, he doesn't know how to control puppets," I asked, trying to deny the fact that he might be the one behind all of this._

"_He knows many jutsus Sasori; you need to hurry and find Deidara, before he does," Pein said._

_Flashback end_

I picked up my pace, trying to catch up with them. I needed to get there, before it's too late.

**. . . . . .**

**Ok, well here's chapter 5! Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcome. And thank you to everyone who follows, favorites, reviews, and most of all, reads!**

**I should have the next chapter out within a month, hopefully sooner.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**. . . . . . .**

**Disclaimer: (I've been forgetting this…) I own nothing at all!**

**Ok, so here's chapter 6, the last chapter! And thank you to Midnight's Shining Star, Guren San Cecelia, KarimaWhatev, and MysticSpeedForce for reviewing chapter 5, I really appreciate it. ^_^**

**On with the story! :D**

**. . . . . .**

**Sasori's POV**

I had only been running down the path for a few minutes when I spotted two figures in the distance. My eyes narrowed in anger when I saw 'myself' dragging Deidara down the road by his hair. Orochimaru, he'd better not have hurt him.

As I got closer, I pulled out two summoning scrolls and brought out two of my puppets. I sent one to attack while the other tried to grab Deidara but both of them missed as fake me jumped out of the way.

"Oh, Sasori, I see you've finally figured out it was me," he said, smirking.

"What do you want with Deidara?" I growled.

"Oh, him?" he asked, smirking sadistically as he jerked my partner up by his hair.

"Answer me," I said, trying to hold back my growing anger.

"Well, he has a very _interesting_ kekkei genkai, and I just wanted to do a few experiments on him," he said.

"And how did you make something exactly like me to trick him?" I asked.

"I didn't need to _make _anything; when I left Akatsuki, one of the things I stole was one of your spare bodies. All I had to do after that was use a new form of the puppet control jutsu I made where you can control the puppet without chakra strings," he explained.

I knew Orochimaru knew several jutsus, but I didn't know he knew anything this advanced; I couldn't even do this. But it seemed all I had to do now was destroy this puppet without hurting Deidara.

I sent forward one of my puppets, to try and slash through him. But when the blade was just about to hit him, he suddenly turned, shielding himself from the attack using Deidara. Oh no, that blade had poison on it! And that was one of my more lethal ones too; I had the antidote with me, but only an hour to give it to him.

I needed to get him back before it was too late. I glared hatefully at the puppet Orochimaru was controlling, summoning three more puppets and sending them at him. I slashed out at him, this time being careful not to further harm my partner. Easier said than done… Orochimaru continued trying to use him as a shield.

. . . . .

We had been fighting for about 45 minutes now and I had still gotten nowhere. I had to hurry…

I sent forward one of my puppets as an idea came to me. He tried to block using Deidara again, but just before the weapon hit, I detached it and used the puppet to grab my partner. As he reached out to try to grab him back, I used one of my other puppets to block him.

I grabbed the antidote from my pouch and hurriedly gave it to Deidara.

"Deidara, wake up," I said shaking him slightly. His eyes slowly opened but soon formed a glare.

"Deidara, are you ok," I asked.

"Why did you hurt me again!?" he spat, jerking away from me. That's right; he still didn't know that I wasn't the one who had said those things to him; he still thought it was me.

"Deidara, that wasn't me," I stated.

"Then who was it?" he asked.

"It was him," I said, gesturing to the puppet Orochimaru was controlling, who had been still this whole time.

"I don't see the difference," he deadpanned.

"He," I started, gesturing to the puppet," Is just one of my old spare bodies being controlled by a jutsu," I explained.

"Who's casting the jutsu?" he asked.

"Orochimaru, my old partner," I said.

"Oh," he said slight shock visible on his face.

"Ah, looks like you know now Deidara. No matter, I will still get what I want," he said with a sadistic smirk.

I glared at him and summoning three more puppets, beginning to attack him. We continued to trade blows, neither of us making any progress. Ugh, this was getting me nowhere, I needed to hurry up and finish this.

He sent a volley of senbon at me but I used my puppets to counter them before shooting some of my own; which of course, he only dodged. I then summoned five more puppets, hoping to beat him with numbers and made them all attack at once.

**Deidara's POV**

This battle didn't look like it would end anytime soon; I should probably help. It was then that I got a great idea.

I began molding a special form of my C3 bomb that I had been working on recently. It worked as sort of land mine except it only went off when I made the hand sign; it also buried itself. Once it was done, I let it go underground before getting to work on a clay bird.

I needed a way to get far enough away from the bomb so I didn't get caught in the blast zone.

Once it was finished, I made it big enough to ride on. Grabbing Sasori I jumped onto the bird and began to quickly fly up high into the sky.

"Deidara, what are you doing?" he asked. I didn't answer, he'd see soon enough. Smirking, I formed the necessary sign, causing a large explosion to detonate below us. This was art!

I glanced over to see that Sasori was slightly shocked but trying to hide it.

"Good job. Let's go back to the base," he said.

"Ok," I answered.

. . . . . .

We were almost to the base now..

"Thanks danna," I said, smiling as I turned around to look at him. He had saved me from Orochimaru even though I hadn't trusted him at the time.

"No problem brat," he answered, also smiling slightly. Finally, things were back to normal. Well, as close to normal as things could get.\ being in Akatsuki.

**. . . . . . .**

**Ok, so that it, the final chapter. I hope that was a good ending.**

**Please review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcome! ^_^**

**And thank you to everyone who follows, favorites, reviews, and most of all, reads this story! :)**


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